Fireproof pier for buildings.



No. 783,791. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

G. LIEBAU.

FIREPROOF PIER FOR BUILDINGS.

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No. 783,791. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

G. LIEBAU. FIREPROOF PIER FOR BUILDINGS.

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m Z 12 W APPLIOA'IIOK FILED AUG. 6. 1904.

Kiwaswg Tnn STATES Patented February 28, 1905..

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FIREFROOF PlEFi FOR BUELIDlNQ-lfi.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,791, dated February 28, 1905.

l Application filed August 6, 1904- To a. whom, (it puny cancer/t:

Be it known that I, G-Us'rAv LIEBAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maui-er, Middlesex county, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireproof Piers for Buildings, of which the following is a specification sufiicient to enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use the same.

The main object of my invention is to afford a pier for building purposes which will be fireproof in every respect, one that will not only be incombustible, but which will maintain its form and integrity under conditions of heat and pressure that would be disastrous to the iron structures heretofore incorporated in walls built mainly of hollow fireproof bricks or tiles. It is also designed to reduce the weight and dimensions of such walls and simplify and cheapen their construction as a Whole without sacrifice of strength, at the same time dispensing entirely with the iron columns, l-beams, skeleton frames, and other metallic structures which have been used to a greater or less extent in connection with hollow blocks of refractory material to form so called fireproof walls, it being well known, however, that the metallic portions thereof are the weakest when subjected to a relatively high degree of heat, under which they are liable to yield under pressure.

My invention consists, primarily, in a pier constructed entirely of blocks of hollow ref 'actory material formed with recesses for positive engagement with an abutting wall or walls, and, secondarily, in the specific construction of pier-blocks hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of one of my improved piers with portions of abutting walls. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of two adjoining piers and abutting sections of walls, taken upon plane of line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken upon plane of line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. L is an isometrical perspective of four superposed horizontal sections of the pier arranged as shown in the preceding views. Fig. 5 is atop view, upon an enlarged scale, of a section of the pier so arranged, showing the next lower horizontal section in dotted lines.

Serial No. 219,727.

Fig. 6 is a top View of a horizontal section of pier, showing the arrangement of superposed pier-blocks when the pier. abuts against the end of one wall only. Figs. 7 and h are top views of alternate pier-sections when arranged as a corner pier in conjunction with two walls at right angles to each other. Fig. .l is an isometrical view of three superposed horizontal sections of a pier thus arranged. Figs. 10 and 11. are top views of alternate pier-sections arranged in conjunction with four abutting walls. Fig. 12 is an isometrical view of one of my horizontal pier-scctions formed in one piece. Fig. 13 is a vertical section upon plane of line 13 13, Figs. 2 and 10. Fig. 1&1; is a vertical section upon plane of line let l:l:, Fig. 6.

In carrying out my invention l prefer to make each horizontal section A of my improved pier of two interchangeable parts 16M, so that by changing their arrangement with relation to each other, as hereinafter set forth, the various requirements of use may be met with the use of but a single form of hollow block. if preferred, however, each horizontal section A may be made in a single piece orblock, the only objection to this being that two or more separate forms of blocks would be necessary to meet all the rerpiircments fulfilled by the interchangeable half-sections or blocks a a. In either case an essential fea ture of my construction of pier is the formation of each of its horizontal sections A with one or more recesses or mortises a a. for the reception of a projection or projections mof an abutting wall W, which latter is preferably constructed of the hollow tiles or blocks of refractory material at present in use, although it may consist of ordinary brick, cement, or other refractory material, if desired. The superposed sections A A are 1n'eferably so arranged as to alternately present these recesses 61/ for engagement with the Pl'OjGCtiOllS w of the wall W, the interveningsections thusoverlapping the wall projections m above and be low, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 13 and 14, so that the said recesses thus closed at both ends become practically mortises into which the wall-tenons w fit. The wall is thus bound to and incorrmrated rigidly with the pier, so that lateral displacement of either is l impossible in a practical sense.

The reversing of the ad oining horl'zontal sections with relation to each other, as above set forth, is preferable in that by the formation of the closed mortises vertical displacement is prevented, and also in that the breaking of joints or crossing of the webs of the pier-sections (see Fig. 5) increases the strength and stability of the pier; but I do not confine myself strictly to this arrangement, since it is obvious that, if desired, the superposed horizontal sections A of pier may be arranged with their recesses a a in line for the reception of an end of a wall terminating in a single continuous vertical plane.

For convenience in manufacture, transportation, and manipulation I prefer to form each piensection in two parts or blocks a a, which are duplicates of each other and of all the blocks used in the formation of the pier. These reversible and interchangeable halfsections or blocks enable me to readily and conveniently meet and provide for all the different contingencies of use and at the same time attain a pier of unbroken uniform surface upon the sides not in actual engagement with the wall, thus insuring a uniform symmetrical appearance and avoiding useless recesses in which dust or foreign matter might lodge. Itis to be remembered, however, that, aside from the lack of this continuity of surface, the horizontal. pier-sections A made in one piece, as shown in Fig. 12, are adapted to afford all the practical results and combinations herein shown and described in connection with the half-sections a a, the exposure of unused recesses a" a upon the sides of the pier not in actual engagement with a wall or walls being no serious objection where appearance is of secondary importance.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that my structure is equally adapted for use as an end pier, a corner pier, or intermediate pier. Thus in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the horizontal sections A are arranged alternately, with their blocks situated with their recesses a a first externally, as in Fig. 2, and next with their recessed faces situated internally, as in Fig. 3, the blocks in one section lying transversely across these in the next section, and so on, the piers in this case being arranged intermediate in a side or partition wall. In Figs. 7 and 8 the blocks are shown as arranged in a corner-pier, with one recess in each section situated internally; in Figs. 10 and 11, as arranged at the angle of intersection between walls at right angles to each other, with all the recesses a a situated externally, and in Fig. 6 as in an end pier, with one recess a in alternate sections situated internally, the blocks in the intermediate sections being arranged transversely to those shown in Fig. 6, with their recessed faces opposed to each other internally, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that by thus arranging the recessed faces of the blocks a internally when not required for engagement with a wall-tenon I attain a uniform unbroken surface upon the unoccupied sides of the pier and by arranging the blocks a in one section A transversely across those in the adjoining sections I bind and unite the sections a into an integral pier as strong and compact as where each section A is made in one piece, as in Fig. 12, while avoiding the exposure of unused recesses, as hereinbefore mentioned.

l/Vhere the ordinary hollow wall-blocks of refractory material are used in conjunction with my form of pier, the sections of the latter are preferably made of the same height as that of the wall-blocks. The recesses in the pier-blocks are made of the same width as that of the width with which the pier is to be incorporated.

The term refractory material, as herein employed, is used to designate burned fireclay, cement, concrete, or other material used in the manufacture of fireproof structures.

WVhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a wall of refractory material, a pier consisting of superposed horizontal sections of hollow refractory material formed with mortise-recesses for the reception of abutting portions of said wall.

2. The combination of a pier consisting of superposed horizontal sections of hollow refractory material formed with mortise-recesses, and an abutting wall of refractory material formed with tenons projecting into opposed mortise-recesses in the pier-sections for the purpose described.

3. The combination of a pier consisting of superposed horizontal sections of hollow refractory material formed with mortise recesses, said sections being arranged transversely with relation to each other, and an abutting wall of refractory material engaging with and projecting into opposed mortise-recesses in the pier-sections.

1. The combination of a pier consisting of superposed horizontal sections of hollow refractory material each formed with a mortiserecess on one or more of its faces, and so formed that when the sections are arranged transversely with relation to each other the ends of the said mortise-recesses will be closed by the adjoining pier-sections, and an abutting wall of refractory material formed with tenons projecting into opposed mortise-grooves in the said pier-sections.

5. The combination of a pier consisting of superposed horizontal sections of hollow refractory material, each section consisting of two duplicate interchangeable and reversible blocks each formed with a mortise-recess, and a wall of refractory material formed with ten- IIO ons projecting into opposed mortise-recesses in the said pier-sections, for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a pier of hollow relractory material formed of superposed horiaontal sections which are interchangeable and reversible with relation to each other and are each formed with one or more mortlsegrooves, and a wall of refractory material formed With tenons projecting into opposed mortise-recesses in the said pier-sections for the purpose described.

7. A pier for buildings consisting of a series of superposed horizontal sections each 

